Pipe-coupling.



J. T. MQGRAOKEN.

PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 30,1912.

077,417. Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

I l I l WITNESSES I Wm ":Buir

A Home JOHN T. MCCRACKEN, OF BRADFORD, KENTUCKY.

PIPE-COUPLING.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

Application filed September 30, 1912. SerialNo. 723,150.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN T. MOCRAOKEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bradford, in the county of Bracken and State of Kentucky,have invented new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Coupling, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates more particularly to couplings for airhose and the like employed on railway cars, and the pri-' mary object isto provide a simple structure of a novel character that willautomatically close the passageways when the members are detached and toautomatically open the same when the coupling members are brought intoassociated relation.

A. further object is to provide means for properly guiding the partsinto associated relation in case they are slightly out of alinement.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional viewthrough the coupling with the members in associated relation. Fig. 2 isa sectional view of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view through one of the members. Fig. 4: is a detailend view, illustrating the arrangement of the spring.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In the embodiment disclosed, each coupling member is a duplicate of theother, and they are arranged horizontally at opposite ends of the car,so that each will always move into coacting relation with the member ofan adjacent car. Each member comprises a body 5 having a projecting nose6 at one end and a stem 7 at the other, to which the usual hose pipe isattached. The body is also provided at one side of the nose with arecess 8 that receives thenose of the coacting member. Extendinglongitudinally through the stem 7 is the usual air passageway 9, whichopens through one side of the nose, as illustrated at 10, and is pref-Jerably surrounded by a suitable packing gasket 11.

A reciprocatory valve 12 is slidable across the passageway 9, beingmounted in suitable guideways l3, and preferably having its margins oredges beveled. as s own at 14, in orderto provide a better joint.

This valve, when in open position, extends nto the recess 8, asillustrated. A swinging valve-actuating arm'15 is located in the recess8, being pivoted in the open end of the same, as shown at 16, and havingits rear portion slidably extending through a slot 17 formed in theouter end of the valve 12. A. spring 18 is coiled about the pivot 16,and has two arms 19, one of which bears against the wall of the recess,the other bearing against the arm. This spring serves to urge the valveto its closed position, as will be evident. Each of the projecting noses6 of the member is provided near its end with a transversely, disposedrounded socket 20 that receives a similarly shaped projection 21 formedupon the adjacent side of the valve-actuating arm 15, the saidprojection engaging in the socket when the parts are in assembledposition, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of properly directing the members into couplingengagement, in case they are slightly out of alinement, guides areemployed, in the form of housings 23 slidably mounted on the bodies 5 ofthe members, and having flared open front ends 23. These housings have.rear walls 25, against which bear coiled springs'24t. The springs 24are shown in the preferred embodiment, as surrounding the stem 7 andbeing abutted against suitable stop collars 26, but any desiredarrangement may of course be employed. Under ordinary conditions, theflared ends 23 are disposed in projecting relation, but when said endsare brought together, they will of course move rearwardly on thecoupling members and against the action of the springs. This alsoprovides a good dust-excluder for the parts.

The operation of the structure is substantially as follows: When themembers are separated, the springs 18 will act to move the valves 12 toclosed positions across the passageways 9, and will maintain them insaid closed positions. When the members are broughttogether, however,the projecting nose 6 of each will enter the recess 8 of the other, andwill engage the arms 15, swinging the same outwardly, and thus causingthe valves to move to open posltions. When the members are in properlyassociated relation, the projections 21 will drop into the sockets 20and thus secure the coupling members against detachment, except whenmaterial strainvis imparted to the same. It will thus be seen thatsimple means are provided for automatically controlling the passage ofair or other fluid tages of the herein described invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, andit will beunder stood that various changes in the size, shape,proportion and minor details of construction, may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coupling of the character set forth, the combination withcoacting coupling members, each having a nose that extends alongside theother, said members having longitudinal passages that open through thecoacting faces of the noses, a slide valve movable across the passage ofeach member and operating transversely of such member, and a valveactuating device disposed longitudinally of each member and having itsouter end pivoted thereto in spaced relation to the nose thereof, therear end of each actuating device being connected to the slide valve,the nose of each member entering the space between the actuating deviceand the nose of the other member and effecting the operation of theformer.

2. In a coupling of the character set forth, the combination withcoacting coupling members, each having a nose that extends alongside theother, said members having longitudinal passages that open through thecoacting faces of the noses, a slide valve movable across the passage ofeach member and operating transversely of such member, a valve actuatingdevice disposed longitudinally of each member and movable toward andfrom the nose thereof, the rear end of each actuating device beingconnected to the slide valve, the nose of each member entering the spacebetween the actuating device and the nose of the other member andeffecting the operation of the former, and a spring bearing against eachvalve actuating device for urging it toward the nose.

3. In a coupling of the character set forth, the combination withcoacting coupling members, each having a nose that extends alongside theother, said members having longitudinal passages that open through thecoacting faces of the noses, a slide valve movable across the passage ofeach member and operating transversely of such member, a valve actuatingdevice .d1sposed longituchnally of each member and movable toward andfrom the nose thereof, the rear end of each actuating device beingconnected to the slide valve, the nose of each member entering the spacebetween the actuating device and the nose of the other member andeffecting the operation of the former, and a spring bearing against eachvalve actuating device for urging it toward the nose, the valveactuating device of one member and the nose of the other havinginterlockingengagements to hold the members against separation.

4. In a coupling of the character set forth,

the combination with coacting coupling members, each having a nose thatextends alongside the other, said members having passages therethroughthat open and com municate through the opposing faces of the noses, avalve in each member controllmg the passage therethrough, and valveactuating means for the valve of each member operated by the nose of theother member and bearing against the outer side of such nose, said meansserving to urge the opposmg faces of sa1d noses toward each other.

5. In a coupling of the character set forth,

the combination with coacting coupling members, each having a nose thatextends alongside the other, said members having passages therethroughthat open and communicate through the opposing faces of the noses, avalve in each member controlling the passage therethrough, and valveactuatoperated by the nose of the other member and bearing against theouter side of such nose, said means servlng to urge the oppos- 1ng meansfor the valve of each member ing faces of said noses toward each other,1

and said actuating means furthermore interlocking with the noses tosecure the members against separation.

6. In a coupling of the character set forth, the combination withcoacting coupling a atin transversel of such member and a valveactuating arm disposed longitudinally in each recess and having itsouter end pivoted therein in spaced relation, to the said nose, the rearend of each arm being engaged directly with the said slide valve, thenose of each member entering the spacebe tween the arm and the nose ofthe other In testimony whereof I have hereunto member and effecting theoperation of the set my hand in presence of two subscribing 10 same,springs bearing against the outer sides witnesses.

of the arms to ur 'e them against the nose,

and thereby urgi g the noses against each JOHN MGCRACKEN' other, andinterlocking engagements be- Witnesses:

tween the noses and the arms to prevent the VVILL A. FIELD,

accidental separation of the members. LEO G. ONEILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

